MINING RAIL
The control room of the autonomous rail system at Pulang Copper in China
“ We worked hard at an early stage in product development to create a completely revised generation of machines for the Chinese market in the form of the DZK3500 , which we transferred to series production after successfully passing the engine test in 2020 . An optimised engine with an intelligent management system forms the heart of the system . This complies with the China III emissions directive , which has been in force since January 1 , 2021 . The engine also offers 15 % higher drive power . From 2021 , more stringent requirements will be mandatory for mining companies in China . Due to the expected high demand , we have planned for corresponding production capacities at our individual locations , particularly including at our home location in Hamm . Consequently , we are well prepared for a successful market launch .” SMT Scharf in fact already has some orders on its books for the model , but it has not yet been able to process and deliver them on a large scale .
China ’ s state of the art Pulang rail system
At the Pulang Copper Mine in Yunnan Province , China – seven XEG 65 t electric locomotives from XEMC , some of the biggest tonnage locomotives in underground rail , operate in a system designed by Chinese EPC company Beijng Soly . The whole process is fully automatically operated , other than the remote controlled loading process . The locomotives each pull 11 South African-made Galison 20 m 3 wagons through Galison 400 t / minute unloading stations – with unloading being accomplished in just 90 seconds . A single control room , located on the surface , oversees the transfer of some 12.5 Mt per year . Galison states : “ Automation is one of the key mining industry trends of the 21st century , and Galison is at the forefront of integrating this technology into new or existing operations with our digital partners . True automation of rail systems is much more than just remote controlled trucks – it ’ s more sustainable , involves lower CAPEX and running costs and is easier to install than trackless alternatives .” Galison ’ s range of specialist rolling stock includes robust self-discharging wagons for a range of ore types from 60 m 3 coal wagons to 30 m 3 gold ore wagons . Other mineral types include , but are not limited to , platinum , chrome , iron ore and copper . These
wagons are designed to work on relatively short haulages multiple times per day and are equipped with pneumatic door operating systems that discharge the load in a matter of seconds to improve productivity and cycle times .
RCR MT to build Kiruna Wagon ’ s Helix Dumper in Australia
Moving to surface mining rail solutions , RCR MT , a subsidiary of NRW Holdings , holds an exclusive license to develop the Helix Dumper system in Australia and in combination with Kiruna Wagon , has the ability to manufacture both the dumper and wagons in Western Australia . RCR MT was engaged by Macarthur
Kiruna Wagon ' s Helix Dumper could soon be handling iron ore in Australia
Minerals to examine the potential to utilise the cutting-edge rail unloading technology for its haematite iron ore project as Helix Dumper has been successfully used in Scandinavian magnetite operations for several years .
RCR MT ’ s Engineering Design Report has been provided to key stakeholders including Southern Ports Authority and Arc Infrastructure for review . Following completion of the review process , which is intended to bring clarity to a preferred infrastructure operating model that could potentially be adopted within the Port , Macarthur anticipates that an optimised rail unloading infrastructure solution is capable of being selected for development .
If constructed , the new Helix Dumper rail unloading system has the potential to optimise the existing capacity of the Berth 3 ship-loader enhancing its current performance from 2,200 t / h to approximately 4,500 t / h . With a design capacity potential of up to 25,000 t / h , RCR MT and Macarthur are confident that the Helix Dumper system can easily increase iron ore through-put at the Port .
Macarthur ’ s proposal to develop the rail unloading infrastructure solution at Esperance Port does not require material capital
16 International Mining | JUNE 2021